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On a sunny Saturday on18th February, Animal Nepal Equine outreach team reached New Bhairab Brick kiln at Damaitar-Harisiddi, Lalitpur district to conduct an educational programme for equine owners and equine handlers.

Animal Nepal Program Manager Kapil Kafle talked about the objective and benefits of the awareness/educational programme. The participants were very interactive and curious. They realized that a healthy equine would be beneficial for everyone’s individual interest.

Dr. Atish Yadav, veterinarian of the Equine Outreach Programme, discussed about equine health care and basic treatment. He stressed on the fact that by providing substantial food, drinking water, adequate rest time, proper shelter would result in better performance by the equines. He further explained all the methods effectively through sketching. Educational programme was informative and beneficial.

Equine owner Salman Ghosi explained his long association with Animal Nepal to all the participants. He said that Animal Nepal’s support has always been consistent and continuous in the field of equine welfare. At the New Bhairab Brick kiln, there are 39 equines working with two equine owners and 21 handlers looking after the equines. Equine owner Jalalu had come all the way from Nepalgunj and Salman Ghosi from Nanpara, India.

Animal Nepal team member Dr. Sajana Thapa, Para vets Tara Budhathoki, Santosh Gautam, Sijan Pokhrel and Mana Nepali were also present and talked about equine healthcare in this programme. Our Aim is to work towards the betterment of the working equines and the people looking after them!! Work towards a more compassionate partnership between animals and humans.

On February 4th 2017, Our dedicated team went to Chhampi Mai Brick kiln to conduct an awareness/education programme for the equine owners and handlers.

In Chhampi Mai Brick kiln, there are 59 working equines. There are four owners and 19 handlers who are taking care of the equines.

When our team went to collect the details concerning the condition of the equines, the handlers were keen to get involved and provide us with information regarding the equines. Animal Nepal Program Manager Kapil Kafle briefed the owners and handlers about taking care and the better treatment of the equines. Senior veterinarian of Equine Outreach Programme, Dr. Atish Yadav talked about primary treatment and general equine health.

Similarly, Dr. Sajana Thapa also gave advice regarding food and nutrition for the hard working equines. Animal Nepal’s para vets Tara Budhathoki, Santosh Gautam and Sijan Pokhrel talked about the importance of the well being of the equines which in turn would lead to more productivity.

Equine owners Kaiyum Shekh and Ajmod Shekh raised important questions related to care of working animals. All the participants: equine handlers/owners were satisfied and looked forward in implementing all the suggestions given to them by our team. They realized that that better treatment and healthier equines would be more beneficial for their work and committed themselves to better care for the equines. This was followed by a medical checkup for all the sick equines and medication was administered where required. Our team was happy to get a positive response from the handlers and owners.

This is the first camp of this season. We started from a kiln having problem and helping them. More than 1000 equines work in brick factories in Kathmandu Valley, carrying bricks under tough conditions. This season Animal Nepal will be focusing on spreading awareness and educating the kiln owners/handlers on the improved treatment for the equines.

Gorkha, situated at 140 km west of Kathmandu at an altitude of 1,135 meter, is a popular trekking destination for most tourists. This trekking area is blessed with rugged, scenic beauty with jaw dropping abyss from one side and a solid wall of mountain on the other side.

Dr. Ramesh Perumal from The Donkey Sanctuary India had come to Nepal to attend the SAIEVAC conference held in Pokhara. After the Conference, he travelled with Dr. Atish, from Animal Nepal, to Gorkha to observe the situation of the mountain mules and provide feedback. As found in the ‘Mountain Mule Survey’ conducted by Animal Nepal in 2015, ill-fitted and ill designed harnesses and saddles were the causes of many wounds, bruises and other injuries among the mules in Gorkha. Seeing the mules himself, Dr. Ramesh was able to provide better advised on appropriate saddle/harnesses designs.

During their trip they survey the terrain that the mules walk on. The terrain is beautiful but treacherous both for humans and animals alike. Dr. Atish came across an old case of a mule he had treated on 22nd November 2016. The mule had faced difficulty in breathing and had been treated at the time. The equine owner recognizing Dr. Atish, immediately came over and showed his equine to him. Both Dr. Atish and Dr. Ramesh, started their check-up and finally decided that there was a mass obstructing the nasal passages, and after a short procedure removed a granulators mass from the nostrils. This gave immediate relief to the poor mule as well as the owner.

Another equine owner approached Dr. Atish asking him to check his mule who had been limping for the last two weeks, he said that despite resting him for seven days, his situation had not improved. Upon checking his hoof, they diagnosed it as a Hoof Abscess. Immediately, they set about draining the fluid from the mule’s hoof and told the owner to check on the hoof periodically.

A main hub where all the mules are kept for the night and where Dr. Atish wanted to try out a new procedure of cushioning the harness. He met with five equine owners and convinced them to try out the foam pad under the harness for a minimum of 10 days to see whether it would minimize the injuries or not. Dr. Atish took the phone numbers of the Equine owners to call them in intervals to check on the progress of the mule wounds as well.

On their return to Kathmandu, both the doctors stopped in Dhading to check on the brick-kilns that Dr. Atish had worked in, for the welfare ofequines. In Tata Brick kiln factory, the owner Kudush Kasgar told Dr. Atish that his mules were falling sick. After a thorough investigation, Dr. Atish administered some medicines to the equines and advised the brick kiln factory owner how to take care of them. In the Dhading Brick Kiln factory, the condition of all the mules was satisfactory.

The most positive outcome of this visit to the Brick- kiln factories was that both the owners wanted Animal Nepal to come and hold an awareness, training and health camp in their factories. After a satisfying visit to Gorkha, Dr. Atish and Dr. Ramesh returned to Kathmandu.